I recently moderated a session at the Peabody Institute of Music: “Why Health for Performing Artists Matters,” addressing the impacts of performance-related injury and illness on individual performance careers, arts organizations, and teaching and learning.

Participants included someone who knows the subject all too well, pianist Leon Fleisher. Soprano Elizabeth Futrell and dance instructor danah bella were also on the panel.

Here was the shocker for me: “upwards of 70-90% of professional musicians face playing-related health challenges, and the average length of time before seeking medical help is 5 years.

5 years?!?

My first question for the panel was, what is the first sign you might have an injury. What is the indicator that things might be amiss, and need to be addressed sooner, rather than later.by a professional? Sooner, as in immediately.

“Pain,” replied Mr. Fleischer.

Duh.

Why didn’t I think of that?

Are you experiencing practice related pain?

Leaving blood on the keyboard or other instrument keys might not be a sign that you are doing things “right,” that this is “normal.”

Does that sound like anyone you know?

In our culture of “no pain, no gain,” data reveals that “there is considerable shame and stigma, as well as fear of career repercussions, associated with open, honest dialogue in this area.”

When I polled the Peabody students in attendance, a shocking number of those present raised their hands when I asked if they were afraid to tell their teachers they were experiencing performance and practice related pain.

One dance student revealed that he was afraid to make it known he was injured, because he worried he would be passed over for future performing opportunities.

Does that sound like anyone you know?

Maybe the days of 6-hour practice sessions are over. Maybe it’s time to look for ways to practice more productively in shorter time frames. It could benefit your creative and healthy well-being in dramatic ways.

I’ve interviewed a number of musicians who after giving birth told me about how they merged the reality of motherhood and their active performing career.

“When my baby was born, I found that I only had 20 minutes of my own to do what was best for me: My choices were, should I takes a nap, should I take a shower or should I practice?”

What these new parents ultimately discovered was that they now had to get 2, 4 or 6 hours of productive practicing done in 20 minutes. They found out they could be remarkably productive in 20 minutes by becoming more mindful about how they practiced.

“I had no other choice.”

Even if you are not the parent of a new born, there might be a practice routine game change that will reduce the risk of injury and generate a better performing life style that will benefit your performing life now and forever.

Are you in physical pain related to your desire to nail the Rachmaninov Piano Concerto No. 2 or to crush the Sibelius Violin Concerto?

The Peabody Panel assured those in attendance that teachers and coaches have had their own day of reckoning and revelation. Their world has changed, and they now take your pain seriously.

Each panelist repeatedly stressed it’s not how long you practice it’s how you practice.

Here’s my pitch: In the uncertain and divisive world in which we live, your artistic gifts have never been more important and more necessary. You won’t alter the world and enjoy artistic and career fulfillment, as all great artists do, if you are experiencing physical practice and performance related pain.

What is your story, and what is your dream?

I am (your story here).

My dream is to (your dream here).

1. Send a long pitch via Facebook messenger, email or text message to someone you do not know.

2. Ask the pitch receiver, who does not know you, to give you a call during your initial interactions.

3. Ask the pitch receiver, who does not know you, to view or listen to your attached files during your first encounter.

4. Is your project authentically classical? Just because the recording or performance includes a string quartet, or the artist was classically trained, does not automatically make it classical (see D below).

Instead…

A. Develop your relationship slowly over time.

B. Briefly introduce yourself and ask if he or she would be willing to chat with you about a specific subject (see No. 2).

C. Easy does it on the follow up (see A).

D. Is your project classical? Close to classical? (See 4 above.) Be brief if you are asking the pitch receiver to recommend someone else to hear your non-classical music project. (We do love passing on new artist information to our colleagues.)

One of the most important people you’ll meet in your artistic travels and endeavors is a guy named Mike Check – he usually spells his name, Mic Check.

You will meet Mic before the start of a radio or TV interview when the host or producer says, “Let’s check your volume and overall setting on the microphone (Mic).”

Just as you should be prepared for an under prepared interviewer, you need to be prepared for the mic check process to be incomplete and rushed over. Sometimes the interviewer is too busy during the interview to monitor your volume or to see where your mouth is in relation to the microphone.

I encourage you to buy an inexpensive microphone and experiment to find the best places to position the mic: how close or how far away should you be to sound clear and easily audible? Plug it in to your phone or any other playback device and listen.

More importantly, what part of the mic should to talk in to? Should you be at an angle, off to the side or above the mic?

In general, you rarely what to talk directly in to the center of the mic: that’s where POPS occur. POPS are the biggest radio sound turn off and distraction in all of broadcasting.

When you experiment with you mic placement, you’ll see and hear where you sound the best, and the mic position and placement where the undesirable POPS occur.

This is also a good thing to do if you ever speak in front of your audience at a concert preview or conference gathering.

Bad audio like this can happen in any interview environment. Why just last week at a Satellite Radio company…

Remember Paul Harvey – the legendary newscaster from “back in the day?”

When he wasn’t giving us the news of the hour, he produced a feature, “The Rest of the Story.”

He told stories about a person or an event, but he would blow you away with the surprise kicker at the end that revealed something we did not know – something that would change everything we thought we already knew about that person or event.

I remembered this Paul Harvey feature after I heard an introduction to a piece of music that a radio announcer was about to air. Great story…but then the music began and continued uninterestingly.

Wonderful story…less than interesting music. Dull.

Then there’s the theme music programming that we often hear on radio and in concert programming. Sometimes, there’s not enough substantial, interesting and entertaining music to sustain the interesting, alluring theme.

Sometimes the rest of the story – the music or the event – is not the best part of the story.

His music was heard in a performance during the talent portion of the Miss America Pageant, where the performer won the title, Miss America.

His music brought him to Ukraine.

He met his wife there – a series of events that would make a fine story for Hollywood.

He now lives in Ukraine.

He brought two orchestras together, from two feuding eastern bloc nations, and produced successful concerts and recordings. In light of current events and international conflicts, it’s a story worth telling and of possible interest to CNN, MSNBC, Fox and other national and international broadcast platforms.

Everyone has a story to tell.

Everyone likes a good story.

What’s yours?

He’s a pianist.

He’s a conductor.

He was born in a small town in Middle America.

He’s kind, friendly and easy to like.

He’s earned some important awards and notoriety.

His music was heard in a performance during the Miss America Pageant, where the performer won the title, Miss America.

His music brought him to Ukraine.

He met his wife there – a series of events that would make a fine story for Hollywood and the makers of independent films and documentaries.

He now lives in Ukraine.

He brought two orchestras together, from two feuding eastern bloc nations, and produced successful concerts and recordings. In light of current events and international conflicts, it’s a story worth telling and of possible interest to CNN, MSNBC, Fox and other national and international broadcast platforms.

A successful life in the performing arts is a balance between you standing up for what you believe in -- being passionate about it and doing it very well -- and the real world. What does your audience want, and how can you deliver it and still be true to yourself?

We hear often how many people experienced their first encounter with classical music watching Bugs Bunny cartoons. 40 years later, the film Amadeus brought a new generation of new listeners into the Mozarteum and, by extension, the classical music world at large

Bravo and Brava tutti.

My question today, is this: are you still referring to Bugs and Amadeus during your on-air programming and hosting?

Do you mention them during interviews or marketing strategy consultations?

While Bugs and Amadeus were two big breaks for classical music awareness, I see them as being mostly irrelevant today as a means to meet, greet and invite guests to the classical party today and tomorrow.

The “Kids” are watching other things – not Bugs and not a 40 year old (brilliant) film.

For the new younger audience who does not listen to CDs and radio, how will we get them to enjoy the power of classical music?

Hell if I know.

I will start by recommending that we have to fish where the fish are: social media, short compelling videos you create, on the street, iTunes and wherever else they get their podcasts.